Cost-benefit Analysis of the Coping and Promoting Strength Program

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Health Economics
• Psychosocial Interventions

Background:

• Pediatric anxiety disorders pose significant long-term costs to families and healthcare systems.
• Early intervention programs are crucial for mitigating the impact of anxiety in youth.
• The Coping and Promoting Strength (CAPS) program is a parent-focused psychosocial intervention designed for anxiety prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the net benefits and return on investment (ROI) of the CAPS program for families and insurers.
• To compare the economic efficiency of the CAPS program versus a wait-and-see approach for pediatric anxiety.
• To analyze long-term economic outcomes of a randomized efficacy trial of CAPS.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from a multi-year follow-up of 136 US families from a randomized efficacy trial of CAPS.
• Employed parent-reported willingness-to-pay and estimated behavioral healthcare cost savings to simulate net benefits.
• Calculated ROI for families and insurance plans, assuming 20% coinsurance for patients.

Main Results:

• The CAPS intervention yielded an estimated average overall net benefit of $1033 per youth.
• Families experienced an average gain of $344 per family, representing a 121% ROI.
• Insurance plans achieved an average net savings of $689 per youth, with a 61% ROI.

Conclusions:

• The CAPS pediatric anxiety prevention program demonstrates strong economic efficiency for both families and insurers.
• CAPS is a more cost-effective strategy compared to delaying diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders in youth.
• Investing in early psychosocial interventions like CAPS provides substantial long-term financial returns.